Changing the Stars
by Reasonable
Summary: Isabel was never giving the anti-aging gift. Now, aged 22, she needs help, an escape, from her troubled life. It seems all who have been there for her have left. Except for the one person she secretly fell in love with all those years ago.
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

**Lost**

**Arkarian**

It was obvious, from the beginning, that we were not meant to be.

And yet...I loved her in every way possible.

I thought, every now and then, she might like me back.

But I couldn't act on how we felt.

It was wrong.

Time passed.

Marduke returned; we killed him again.

I learned of my true parentage.

Matthew became a leader.

The Named became reality.

And we won.

But now, as I dream.

I can't help but feel as though I lost.

For I lost her,

and that's all that ever mattered to me.

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**OKay, so plot summary: No Arkarian kid-napping, no reward for Isabel. Isabel ages, Arkarian doesn't. The Battle is over. Rochelle still died, etc., etc.. Now, at age twenty-two, Isabel needs help. It seems like her whole life is crashing down on her. And who exactly does she turn to? Arkarian, of course. **

**That's all I'm telling for now. I just don't want to give away too much of the story in the summary.**


	2. When I Think Of Her

**Chapter One:**

**Arkarian**

My fingers drift lazily over the dull wood of the table before me. Somewhere in the back of my mind I am listening to the other Tribunal members giving their gifts to the new Guard inductee. Even after the bloody final battle, we have tried to maintain a sense of propriety and order. It has been, after all, six years.

The new apprentice sits nervously on the stool I have provided him. Ethan, appointed as Trainer (yet again), smiles encouragingly as the boy (whom I now recall as being named Gabriel) looks his way. Gabriel stares back at me once more.

"Welcome to the Guard," I say with a grin. "I hope Ethan has instructed you on exactly what it is we do." The boys nods, and I smile once more. "Good. I do believe it is my turn to give you a gift."

Once, a long time it seems to be though not so long ago, Lorian would have done this. I would have looked on, mildly interested, as I always did in those days. Now, with the weight of the responsibility of the Tribunal on my shoulders, I stride towards the boy.

I always seem to recall how frightened young Apprentices were when my father was the Head. The scared look on their faces as the giant of a man came towards them. Though I had seen him for over six hundred years, I could sympathize with the thought of fear. He was a frightening man.

Gabriel doesn't seem scared at all as I approach him. I should hope not; Ethan once said I was as threatening as a toothbrush. I smile again, warmly, and place my hand on his head. I can feel his veins pumping blood to his forehead, where sweat glistens in stress. In an instant I can sense all that the boy has done over the past few weeks.

He is a shape-shifter. Simple enough skill. Mostly he has been turning into a tiger. I can sense of fascination of wild felines. He is brave, yes. But a coward in the face of friends. Giving him a gift will be difficult. At last, I can see that he likes to read in the dark.

Unknowing of anything else to give the boy, I give Gabriel the gift of seeing in complete darkness. As soon as I return to my seat, my thoughts trail to a gift, similar to what I just gave, that was given to an important person in my life so many years ago.

I have tried my best not to think of her, for it hurts too much to ponder. There are too many "could have beens" wrapped in the stake of impossibility. Though I wanted her to be mine, we were never meant. I placed her in the part of my brain in which I tell myself not to become emotionally attached. It is this that I store all previous Guard members: young men whom I watch turn old and die. I forget them, for the sake of my greater being.

But now, just like every now and then, I let my mind slip. Whether I like to fantasize over what wasn't, or perhaps I like to inflict myself pain, I do not know. What I do know is that every time I think of her, I fall even deeper in love.

I sit still for a few moments, and watch only with my ears as the Tribunal disassembles and leaves the room. I am left alone, I think, until a hand presses gently on my shoulder. I look up into the face of Ethan, who gives me a melancholy smile, as if he understands who I'm thinking of. I glance the other way, and he knows I want to be left alone to my thoughts.

**Just a note: Please review if you like this. And also, these chapters will come in mostly short spurts. I just can't write a whole lot in one point of view at a time. Please don't get mad over length. Next chapter will be up soon.**


	3. I Can't Feel My Life

**Chapter Two:**

**Isabel**

Matt once told me that for a very adventurous girl, my life is very bland. To be honest, I agree with him. But there's not much I can do to change that, can I? Everything I have is brought on by my own doings. I married a man whom I didn't love, just to forget the man I did care for. I finished high school for basics, and got a degree in medicine. I mothered a child to my husband, that part was simple.

I do not feel; I do not care. I have taught myself to neither hate nor like. My husband, Edward, is as plain as my life. He comes home from work, I feed him, I make love to him, and he goes to sleep. He is gone for work again before I wake up. My child, Ian, has a routine as well. I wake him up in the morning, feed him, send him to school, pick him up at three, feed him dinner, tuck him in. It is simply boring.

Not that I realize its boring. Everyday that passes is just a blur. Nothing interesting ever excites me. I wonder how I have made it this far without wanting something solid, something that I could really feel passionate for. But, then again, when one's passion is given to another, how can one get said passion back?

At age sixteen, I fell in love. Hard. What's worse, the man didn't even know it. Looking back now, the only emotions I ever sense are when I think about those days. The glint of his violet eyes as he watches me with silent amusement. The coloring of his blue hair that always seemed to be perfectly formed around his face. I can feel the love I had for him come, but then fade as I get back to reality.

I met Edward when I was seventeen. I was at a friend's party, which included a lot of beer. The over-used romance novel plot came true, and I slept with him while we were both drunk. The next morning Edward, who despite being drunken the night before, was actually quite a gentlemen, apologized profusely and we decided to become friends. Well, as it was, fate didn't feel like us being friends was enough: two months later I found out that I was pregnant.

The reactions were all different from those close to me. Edward was shocked, to say the least, but he swore he would be a good father to our child. He began to build a fund from his meager high school job that would support us. Matt, overprotective as always, almost beat up Edward--had it not been that Edward's father was a policeman. Mom was disappointed in me, but agreed to help me raise the child.

_His_ reaction was the worst.

I came into a Guardian meeting about seven months into my pregnancy. I had not been for several months, as Edward became very attached to me and it had been hard to shake him off. As I sat down on the stool that was offered me, _his _eyes travelled automatically to my stomach, were my child lay. Arkarian's eyes looked up to mine and I saw several things at once: happiness, for me I imagine, was one; along with excitement; and then, which surprised me, sadness.

Was it possible back then that he had felt even an inch of the passion I held for him? Did he wish this was our baby, not mine and Edward's? I often wished the same back in the first few months of pregnancy.

Not being able to withstand his stare, I rose from the room and fled the mountain. He didn't try to stop me. He also had no objections when I told Matt later that day that I wanted to break away from the Guard.

On my eighteenth birthday, the most ironic of all days, I went into labor. My baby was born the next day, a healthy glowing babe. Ian and I had decided to name him Ian Gregory, and so that name went on the birth certificate. As we drove back home later that week, Edward asked me to marry him. Being of legal age, and seeing that as the best option, I agreed.

Our wedding was really small and very quick; I found this the best as I couldn't think of who I was losing. Two weeks after that, Edward started law school at the local college, and I started working on my medical degree online so I could take care of Ian.

To give him credit, Edward is a great husband. He never forgets my birthday, or our anniversary. I even think he understood that I wasn't in love with him, and told me once that he'd take "anything I could give him." He was an awesome father as well. Ian was spoiled rotten as a baby; Edward would buy him anything he wanted and would play with him endlessly. It wasn't uncommon for me to find the two fast asleep, sprawled over the nursery floor.

Once more I need to point out that I do not feel. I did not ever surprise my husband with lunch at work. Nor did I ever treat my son for a day out at the beach. They were just there; I acknowledged them but did not truly love them as I should've. In my world, Edward was not my husband, and Ian not my child. They were simply beings.

I did not feel happy as I kissed Edward on the cheek as he went to work. I was not relieved to send Ian off to school. Exhaustion was not felt as I did the chores around the house. And I especially did not feel anything as the news was brought to me that Edward had been missing from his work for the past five hours.

**Thanks for the review, FMA4EVER! Yes, the whole Arkarian-saves-Isabel thing is still going on here. **


	4. The Spinning Begins

**Hey guys!**

**Thanks for all the reviews!**

**Let me just point out again, for those who seem to be in confusion:**

**Arkarian did not get kidnapped. So, there was no need to save him. Isabel did not get the anti-aging gift. Therefore, they did not get together. They moved on with their lives (or so it seems.)**

**There is no cheating, no breaking up--they weren't together in the first place! (If you are still not clear, PM me so I can clear it up!)**

**Alright--this chapter is really short and I apologize!**

**It was so long in coming because a month ago I had surgery on my left ring finger. With a big bandage and stitches in, its really hard to type (especially for me), so I wasn't able to write any of this until tonight. This summer is long--and this summer I have no class--so hopefully I will be able to update a lot on this! Thanks!**

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**Chapter Three:**

**Arkarian**

There was nothing in the world that matter to me than the smells that were coming through my nostrils. I could smell the warm cakes of my childhood; ones I would admire from the baker's window but could never buy. Then came the stench of rust, as I killed my opponent during a mission. The fragrance of flowers drifted through as I remember how Sera was killed by going after Marduke's iris.

Just as the wavering intensity of _her_ strawberry shampoo came to mind, I awaken to a noise that causes me to groan.

The sphere has started to spin, once again. There came a time when I thought that all of the Order business would be over, but, alas, it isn't. I get dressed and go to wait out its revolution.

It comes to stop on a house at the end of a lonely lane. I recognize at once who it belongs to: the Beckets. Inside, the sphere zooms in on a sixteen-year-old Isabel as she comes home from school to find an empty home. She drops her backpack, and plops down upon a beaten leather couch.

This has me wondering. Why would the Order need to visit this teen at exactly this year? Surely there are more important people to change the future with?

My mind has to turn off my heart as I wonder what would happen if they managed to injure, or even kill, Isabel.

Getting back to business, I send my thoughts to Matt, telling him that I request a Guard meeting immediately tomorrow. He thinks back a confirmation, and I sigh.

This mission is going to be challenging; of course, since this is the first attack-mission the Order has scheduled since the Final Battle. This means there will be more; perhaps a new leader has taken charge? Hopefully, however, things will not come to that, and there will be no need to tell Isabel of whats happening. And there will be no need to remind me once again of a life I will never maintain.

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**Again, kind of short and kind of crappy, but hey--I need to get back in the swing of writing this.**

**So, here's a poll for you--**

**_How do you want Arkarian to come into contact with the adult Isabel for the first time in years?_**

**Review with your thoughts on it, and if its good enough, I'll use it in here! (My creative juices aren't flowing enough today, ha ha)**

**-Reasonable**


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